If you use the free service, please note that Monday was a great example of why you should check out our Premium service. Yes…a subscription costs a little extra (it likely adds less than 1% to your monthly commuting cost). But yesterday, our Premium users benefited many ways:

they knew, in advance, about the buses that DeCamp canceled
(Clever Commute uses a datafeed of DeCamp’s announcements…and we show that to Premium users)

they know about an alert from Port Authority about delays going into NY

1. Tickets – tickets..Tickets…TICKETS. Get them early!If you or your traveling companion will need a ticket, get it BEFORE Friday afternoon.
Lines are loooooong on get-away days.
💡 LIRR, Metro North, NJ Transit and NY Waterway all have ticket apps!

2. Timing is crucialFor those who use NY Penn, we expect this year’s commute to be worse than last. Use the re-cap above as a guide…but add some padding to be safe.

4. Terminal – Choose wiselyIf it is at all within your control, avoid NY Penn Station.
We include that guidance with every “getaway” briefing we do. But due to the ongoing Amtrak work, it’s especially true now.

NJT riders: consider Hoboken and/or Newark Penn

LIRR riders: consider Atlantic Terminal or Hunterspoint Avenue

5. Other Tips:

Dress in layers – the terminal or the trains can be warm

Bring water/snacks – save time…save money. Plan ahead.

“Baggage strategy” matters – There is going to be lots of luggage around on Friday.
Pick/Pack your bag early and lightly!

Make your plan now…Do NOT wait until Friday morning to start thinking about this.

Here is a fairly typical example of how Clever Commute provides information that is faster and better than the actual transit providers.

This is a picture of the Recent Alerts feed in the app.

The train in question is the 6:29 PM train from Hoboken on 7-Aug 2017(click image to enlarge)

TOP: From Clever Commute’s feed of actual NJT alerts.
(yes, we offer these in the app,
for free, during Summer Of Hell. Other times.
Other times, it’s Premium feature)Note:Timestamp is 6:51 PM
NJT says the train is up to 10 min late

BOTTOM: A commuter, already shared the news.

Note:Timestamp is At 6:41 PMuser Bcretella shared the news that it was “T+12”…and we were still in the station.

(I say “we” because I was on that train…
and I was pleased to see Clever Commuters pitching in!)